Safety mechanism for laundry machine wringers



Aug. 11, 1.942. w. K. voss 2,292,591

SAFETY MECBANISM- FOR LAUNDRY MACHINE WRINGERS Filed July 15, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 1, 1942. w. Kv voss 7 2,292 591 SAFETY MECHANISM FOR LAUNDRY MACHINE 'WRINGERS Filed July 15, 1939 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Y J v ,4 40 fag I 4 I 9/ 33 7 4O 2 52 2 T 4 r I I 66' 5 MI 34 58 w- 52 j v J5 5 5 64 v 1 1 44 f i m2. %/er 2 yas's Twa y Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED STATES] PATENT OFFICE SAFETY LIECHANISM FOR LAUNDRY MACHINEWRINGERS Walter R. Voss, Davenport, Iowa Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,809

4 Claims. (01. 68-253) The invention relates to safety mechanism for laundry machine wringers andmore particular- 1y to mechanism for stopping the driven movement of the wringer rolls concurrently with the actuation of the wringer safety release device by which the operating pressure on the rolls is re-' leased in an emergency.

An objectof the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism of this nature embodying means in control of motor operation located at a point remotefrom the wringer and so connected with the safety release device as to be moved to a position to stop the motor when said device is actuated to release roll pressure.

Another object is to provide a novel mechanism of this character having mechanical connecting means extending between the safety release device of the wringer and a motor controlling switch on a fixed part of the laundry machine and operable in any position of the wringer rela tive to the laundry machine to open the switch when the safety release device is actuated.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

on a gear box l2 which, in turn, is supported on the upper end of a wringer post 13. The gear box and wringer are rotatable with respect to the post to any one of several operative positions as determined by manually operable indexing means which includes a notched index plate H on the wringer post and a cooperating index lever l4 pivoted on the gear case. Reversing gearing in the gear box and controlled by the shifting lever [B is connected with one of the wringer rolls and the gearing drive is driven by a drive shaft (not shown) which extendsthrough the wringer post. An electric motor beneath the tub Figure 1 is a fragmentary view on a reduced scale of a laundry machine and an associated wringer in which the features of the invention are embodied.

Fig.2 is a fragmentary View in perspective il lustrating a form of mechanical connection between the safety release device and the motor controlling switch, th associatedframe parts being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical, sectional view mechanical connection is associated.

Fig. 4 is an end View of saidend of the wringer, the gear case being omitted.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but

through the end of the wringer with which the i drives the agitator and the wringer driveshaft. The foregoing structural arrangement is conventional and a more complete description is believed to be unnecessary.

The wringer herein illustrated is representative of present day structures embodying means for maintaining the wringer rolls under operative pressure, together with means movable by the user in an emergency for instantly releasing such .pressure. The present invention is well adapted to be incorporated in wringer structures of this nature other than the particular mechanism here shown. Referring to Fig. 1, the instant wringer includes a :base frame I6 having upstanding side stiles in which are bearings for the cooperating wringer rolls [8. A head l9 fits over the upper ends of the side stiles and houses spring means (not shown) adjustable as to tensionby the screw 20 for imposing operative pressure on the rolls. 1

The safety release device in the illustrated structure comprises means for releasably latching thehead to the frame. As shown inFig. 3, a member 2| is mounted by pivot pins 22 within one side stile H and extends above the top of the stile. This member has a pair of spaced inturned flanges 23 which angle upwardly and are adapted to be held over and against a transverse pin 24 on the head by a latch plate 25 having spaced downturned latch fingers 26 (Fig. 2) engageable with the upper edge of the member 2| between the flanges 23. The fingers 26 are short and readily releasable from their holding engagement and upon such release the angularity of the wringer is mounted in the conventional manner flanges insures that the member 2l will swing clear of the pin 24 and permit the head to move upwardly, thus releasing the tension on the rolls.

The manipulable means for releasing the holding engagement of the latch fingers includes a plate 21 (Fig.2) mounted on the member 2l for relative vertical and tilting movement by horizontally spacedheaded studs 28 engaging slots29 in the plate. The slots are vertically elongated and are somewhat arcuate in shape to permit either side edge of the plate to rise and the plate is so located that either edge in rising will engage a latch finger and break the connection between the latch and the member 2 I.

Each side of the wringer frame has an impact member 35 associated therewith for convenient manipulation by the user in an emergency. Each of these members comprises a rectangular frame pivoted, as at 3 I, through their lower ends to lugs 32 on the side stiles. The frames are dimensioned substantially to coincide with the wringer frame and are connected for conjoint movement by a link 32 pivoted, as at 33, to both frames. The link is disposed immediately adjacent'to the end face of the side stile in which the member 2| and plate 21 are mounted and the side stile has an enlarged aperture 34 (Fig. 3) therein opposite the link. The link carries a pin 35 that extends inwardly through the aperture and engages an elongated vertical slot 36 formed in the depending end of the plate 27. Movement of the impact bars in either direction will, therefore, swing the plate 27 to unlatch the head. The means for reestablishing the connection of the head and side stile is not material to an understanding of the invention but includes a lever 37 (Fig. 1) normally embracing the opposite side stile and adapted, after the latch means has been returned to the holding relation (shown in Fig. 2) by downward movement of the head, to draw the opposite end of the head into a latched relation with the side stile associated therewith.

The usual circuit of the driving motor includes a switch 38 (Figs. 1 and 2) having a control lever 39 (Fig. 2) extending therefrom. This switch is arranged to be moved to circuit open position whenever the safety device is released. Such a switch has heretofore been mounted on the wringer assembly but in this arrangement the lead wires to the switch must be freely flexible to permit the wringer to swing to its several indexed positions. According to the present invention, the switch is mounted at a point remote from the wringer assembly on such a fixed part of the laundry machine as the wringer post (Fig. 1) and mechanical connecting means opens the switch whenever the safety device is released. To this end, an actuator 45 (Figs. 3 and 4) is pivoted, as at 4!, to the side stile above the link 32 and the actuator is offset to overlie the outer face of the link. The actuator has a vertical slot 42 in its lower end to receive the outer end of the pin 35 on the link. The actuator is wide at its lower end and on each side of the slot 42 has an outturned flange 43. The end portions of the flanges remote from the slot may be slightly upturned as shown in Fig. 4. Normally urged against the flange 43 is the upper end of the vertical leg 44 of an L-shaped plate, generally indicated at 45. A channel-shaped bracket 46 secured by rivets 41 to the side stile has a finger 48 offset outwardly from the channel base and disposed in a vertically elongated slot 49 in the plate leg 44. A spring 50 is compressed between the finger and the upper edge of the slot 49 to urge the plate upwardly into engagement with the actuator flanges 43. The vertical leg, being interposed between the gear case and the wringer, is also slotted, as at to permit the shaft 52 to pass from the gear case to the driven wringer roll. The plate 45 is confined between the sides 53 of the channel-shaped bracket 46, and the bracket is connected through outturned flanges on the sides to the gear case. A member 53 is interposed between the bracket and the gear box and has inturned guiding lips engaging the sides of the plate leg 44.

The leg 44 extends below the gear case and the L-shaped plate 45 is completed by a horizontal leg 54 of substantial dimensions located immediately above the index plate I4. The leg 54 has an enlarged aperture 55 therein through which the upper end of the wringer post I3 projects, and has a second aperture 56 permitting engagement of the index lever I4 with the index plate. The portion 51 of the leg about the aperture 55 constitutes what may be termed a turntable, since it engages the upper end of a switch actuating rod 58 in any position of the wringer assembly on the wringer post. A bearing for the upper end of the rod is provided by the index plate I4 (Fig. 1) and the lower end of the rod is connected loosely to a slide 59 (Fig. 2) which is slotted, as at 60, operatively to engage the switch control lever 39. A knob 6|, or like finger piece,

. is secured to the rod for manually controlling the switch.

When either impact bar is moved to release the safety device, the pin 35 on the link 32 swings the actuator in one direction or the other. Either movement cams the plate 45 downwardly between the dotted and full line positions shown in Fig. 4 and depresses the rod 58 a distance ample to open the switch. The position of the wringer assembly on the post is immaterial since the turntable is always in engagement with the rod. The switch may be manipulated independently of the safety release device and preferably is of the snap or toggle type which moves to open or closed position with a quick, sharp action.

A secondary casing 62 may, as shown in Fig. 1, enclose the gear case I2, the turntable and the parts associated therewith, and an outer tubular casing 63 may be provided about the wringer post I3 and the switch.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a safety mechanism for wringers having driven wringer rolls normally operable under pressure and means for quickly releasing the pressure from said rolls, the combination of a wringer post rotatably supporting said wringer, a switch on said post, a member mounted for vertical movement on said wringer and having a part through which said post extends, means connecting said member with the pressure release means for imparting vertical movement to said member when said release means is actuated, and means engageable by said member for actuating said switch upon said vertical movement of said member.

2. In a safety mechanism for wringers having driven rolls normally operable under pressure, means for quickly releasing the pressure from said rolls, a post rotatably supporting said wringer and a switch on said post for controlling a driving motor for said rolls, the combination of a part mounted on said wringer for vertical movement upon actuation of the pressure release means, and a member upstanding from said switch and adapted to be moved vertically to actuate said switch, said part having an areaate surface extending concentrically of the axis of swinging movement of said wringer and adapted for sliding bearing engagement with said upstanding member.

3. In a safety mechanism for wringers having driven rolls, a motor for driving said rolls, a post rotatably supporting said wringer, a switch on said post for controlling said motor, the combination of a member upstanding from said switch for downward movement to actuate said switch, means for quickly releasing the pressure from said rolls, and means mounted on said wringer for downward movement upon actuation of said release means, said last mentioned means including a part having a bearing surface concentric with the aXis of swinging movement of said wringer about said post, and adapted to bear against and actuate said member downwardly upon actuation of the pressure release means regardless of the position of said Wringer on said post.

4. In a safety mechanism for wringers having driven rolls, means for quickly releasing the pressure from said rolls, a post rotatably supporting said wringer, a motor for driving said rolls, and a switch on said post for controlling said -motor, the combination of a member mounted for vertical movement on said wringer and having a part through which said post extends, said part including a bearing surface concentric with the axis of swinging movement of said wringer, and means bearing against said surface for actuating said switch upon vertical movement of said member in one direction.

WALTER K. VOSS. 

